"Network continually -- 85 percent of all jobs are filled through contacts and personal references." -– Brian Tracy "It's not who you know. It's how well you maintain your Rolodex(R)." -– Patricia Fripp "Make a list of 200 prestigious, influential, and powerful people with whom you want to work, play, grow and do business." -– Mark Victor Hansen "Networking is simply cultivating of mutually beneficial, give and take, win-win relationships. It works best, however, when emphasizing 'give' part." -– Bob Burg

Francine York is the publisher of Modern Opportunity newspaper and website (http://www.modernopportunity.com). Both offer low cost advertising opps & vital business info,biz opps, products & services. Sign up for the free monthly ezine. Ms. York also hosts a biz opp EXPO. Exhibitors offer info about various opps, services & products. For further info, email her at fran@modernopportunity.com or call (631) 673-3208.

4. Find your niche. Take hosting business for example. The hosting business as a whole is a huge industry which is very competitive. Your best chance at success is to simply find a market and develop your business to cater to that specific niche. An excellent example of this is http://elite-hosts.org/ who offer hosting and development to those who operate online forums. It's easier to be a big fish in a little pond than to risk having your message drowned out by too much competition.

5. You MUST understand how search engines work. Over 90% of your business will likely come directly from search engine results. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to optimize your site for search engines. You could have greatest deals in entire world, but if no one knows about them then your efforts are wasted. Do a search on google for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). You will find tons of great information on how to create a website that is both user friendly and search engine friendly. There are also countless numbers of companies and freelancers out there who offer SEO services. Just be cautious of their offers and do your research first. Remember, NO ONE can guarantee top placement in major search engines, no matter what they say.

Maybe in early 90’s idea of “if you build it they will come” might have been true. But in year 2005 internet is a far more competitive and complex place To be successful today, you have to develop a business plan which works from all angels. If you can develop an online business that you enjoy operating, which has a professional design, some extra content, search engine friendly and which targets a specific niche, you will have a far greater chance at success. Of course there are many other factors to consider as well, but if you can master these five fundamentals, everything else should fall into place.